Published: March 29, 2008 08:19 pm            

KEN ALLEN: Tragedy led him to God

Cullman County is full of churches. From Catholic to Protestant to the occasional non-denominational, one fact is true among them all: fellowship and worship.

East Side Baptist Church is no different. Pastor Ken Allen joined the church family in 2001, along with his wife Sandra and four children. Allen came to East Side after years of pastoring other churches across the South.

Allen grew up in Birmingham with his single mother and six siblings. He said the passing of his father was hard, but it allowed something better into his life.

“My father died when I was 3, and I was the last of six children,” Allen said. “The positive thing about my father’s death, was that God became my father. Being saved at the age of 6 really grew into a fellowship with him. And into my early teen years, when a son would reach out for a dad, I had a relationship with the heavenly father.”

“My mother struggling as a widow has made me more aware of the emotional and financial needs of those that are older. Also I’ve seen how important it is to try to prepare for those we love, too, in case something happens.”

Despite having only one parent around, Allen said his mother made sure he was always in church on Sundays.

“The number one thing my mother did that impacted me was making sure that I was in church every Sunday. And it was a good church, too. They believed God’s word and taught it. And I had men that lived it,” Allen said.

“So that is very positive part of my upbringing. And then to watch her tithe off of that meager income she had as result of being a widow taught a lot about where we’re to place our trust.”

Before winding up in Cullman, Allen said his path as minister started when he was just a child.

“Growing up in church I was around believers and pastors and others that opened me up to the possibility that God might call me into missions or professional ministry,” Allen said. “It was very early on that God called me to ministry, it was in the 9th grade. Of course I didn’t know what pathway that would take. It was a couple years later, when I was 15, I preached my first sermon.”

Allen said shortly after he turned 19, the Lord led him to pastor New Providence Baptist Church in Wilcox County. Within a year Allen said he was on the move worshiping and learning across the south.

“I served as ministry staff at East Side Baptist Church in Roebuck, student and youth ministry. It was during my college days then I moved on to seminary. After wards I went to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary from 1990-92,” Allen said.

“Shortly after I began to pastor my first full time church in Hammond, La., called Ebenezer Baptist Church from 1992-95. Once leaving Ebenezer I went to Hueytown to pastor at Concord Baptist Church from 1995-2000. I had a brief stop at the Church of New Beginnings (Hueytown) just to help the church start with another pastor before coming to East Side.”

Allen met his future help wife Sandra while in his senior year of college. He said the two dated shortly before marrying in August 1991. The couple has brought four lives into the world.

“Haley, 13, loves music and plays the violin. Parker, 12, is all boy. He likes hunting, fishing, basketball,” Allen said. Abby ,9, loves playing with kids. She is a good caregiver for younger kids. She plays piano and takes lessons. Hannah, 6, is just a fun-loving little girl who loves playing and is learning how to read.”

Allen said all of his children are homeschooled. When asked why chose that route when there are plenty of public and private schools, Allen just smiled.

“We felt early on that’s what God called us to do. We know God calls some to be in public schools and others in Christian schools. We just sense that the Lord wants us to do with our family,” Allen said.

“Of course, ultimately every parent is responsible for their child’s education at a fundamental level. The information the receive should be something every parent should be aware of. Young minds are very impressionable.

Often times in our society you have a child that goes to school at or before 8 a.m. and are there until 3 p.m. and then if their involved in sports then they have practice or a game. Then where do you fit in homework? It just leaves very little time for family life. And how do you to raise a family if you don’t have time to be a family,” Allen asked.

When asked what residents and readers should know about him, Allen clutched his bible and propped up against his desk.

“Well my life verse is Philippians 3:10 Where it says basically, that Paul says he wants to know Christ. It is a verse that I continue to try to get my hands around. It is a powerful, powerful text that is there,” Allen said. “It is going to take me a lifetime to really grapple with and get my hands around the truth of that verse. And really that is the essence of Christian life and the essence of what I want my life to be and people might know Christ as a result of my life.”

        

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